Disney Fastpass+ at Walt Disney World

[Gabe]

Epcot is being addressed. They have already begun repainting the buildings in Future World to make them "pop" more and I know that changes are afoot. Over at the Studios, look for the Star Wars area to be expanded, as well as a retheme of the backlot area to incorporate Marvel. I believe AK is taken care of with Pandora (Avatar) and the addition of Harambe Nights, sales of which have been especially strong. Disney Springs Phase 1 will open next summer and more DVC units are coming online as well.

[bkroz]

Epcot is being addressed. They have already begun repainting the buildings in Future World to make them "pop" more and I know that changes are afoot. Over at the Studios, look for the Star Wars area to be expanded, as well as a retheme of the backlot area to incorporate Marvel. I believe AK is taken care of with Pandora (Avatar) and the addition of Harambe Nights, sales of which have been especially strong. Disney Springs Phase 1 will open next summer and more DVC units are coming online as well.

Epcot is hardly being addressed if the new paint scheme on Innoventions is their answer. The park is monstrously outdated in many ways. The way the pendulum of time has swung, it would be passable if the architecture of the park was rooted in the '60s or '70s. Unfortunately, the park reeks of the '80s, which has not come around to being fashionable yet and might never. Just consider the pavilions: Innoventions is a dead spot. Has been for a long time. Universe of Energy still has it's early-90s retrofit of Bill Nye and sitcom-era Ellen. Wonders of Life is closed. Mission: Space is not exactly a fan favorite, especially for the money it cost and what it replaced. Imagination pavilion is still showing Captain EO and contains a universally-despised dark ride. The Land and Seas are passable at this point in time, and certainly Test Track is still one of the resort's biggest draws.

Many years ago, Epcot was to have undergone a "Project: Gemini" that would have transformed the entire Future World land into a version of what was - at the time - envisioned for California's WestCOT. Rather than the harsh, concrete, metallic, "Republican future" that it still today resembles, Future World would've been recreated as a land of fountains, trees, gardens, organic rocks, golds, coppers, winding paths, jungles, and towers. The entire north half of the park would've been not just re-decorated, but re-branded (think Disney California Adventure, which turned its entire story from a modern spoof to a reverent, idealized look... Same here... it was an entire identity shift!)

Over at the Studios, don't expect a larger Star Wars presence for at least a while. To put it into some perspective, PANDORA - The World of Avatar was announced in 2011, and will open in 2017. IF a fully-realized Star Wars land does somehow get the green light from the infamously budget-conscious resort, I wouldn't expect it until 2020 at the earliest. Much would also hinge on Disneyland getting a Star Wars makeover for its Tomorrowland (since Walt Disney World would undoubtedly share the budget for any attractions developed therein) and that rumor appears to be slowly fading...

As it is, I believe that Hollywood Studios will get some additional Star Wars presence, but no giant, much-needed E-ticket attracition. Probably a Yoda meet-and-greet and a Cantina restaurant. Again, that's a park that really needs an ENTIRE identity shift. In the past two years, Universal Studios Florida has been a great example, ditching the "showbuilding" / "we're a working movie studio" theme in favor of themed lands. Universal Studios Hollywood is doing the same. The era of the "studio" park is over, and Hollywood Studios needs to catch up. It happened at Disney California Adventure, where as part of the park's re-build, the "Hollywood Pictures Backlot" area became the 1940s "Hollywoodland" complete with electric trolley, new facades, new attractions, reverent music, street performers, etc.

As for Marvel at the Studios? Nope. Marvel - in a financially unstable moment 15 years ago - provided Universal Orlando with exclusive use of certain heroes and intellectual properties within X miles of Universal's resort. Disney owning Marvel doesn't undo that contract, so unless Universal decides to break the contract or Disney decides to charge astronomically when that contract's renegotiation comes to the table, Walt Disney World will not have Marvel super heroes except in very specific and limited ways. That's why Californian and Hong Kong parks are adding meet-and-greets, walkthrough, and attractions while Walt Disney World does virtually nothing but stock hero merchandise.

At Animal Kingdom, Pandora is CERTAINLY a huge investment (though recent word of mouth is that it, too, is being downsized to opening with only one attraction, not two) but fans have been lukewarm at best about it, and there are many who believe that it was a mistake. To the untrained eye (and maybe to some trained ones) it appears that Disney freaked out when the Wizarding World showed it would be a lasting success and simply gobbled up the biggest "other" franchise they could find. In 2011, that was Avatar. Obviously in hindsight we can see that Avatar didn't exactly remain in the public consciousness. It's not a film that's transcended into pop culture. As a matter of fact, it's sort of... disappeared. Granted, two sequels are on the way, but did this film deserve an entire land at Animal Kingdom, and will it bring the people flooding in?

We shall see in three more years. Meanwhile, Universal opens its second Wizarding World, Transformers, Despicable Me, a renewed Spider-Man, a Simpsons land, a brand new CityWalk, and supposedly a massive King Kong E-ticket and land all in the course of 30 months. Yep.

[shark6495]

In fairness I can see Avatarland doing well. If I'm not mistaken AK originally was to have a fantasy element (dragons?) so it's not too much of a stretch to incorporate that into the current fold.... Maybe?

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[jcgoble3]

Mission: Space is not exactly a fan favorite, especially for the money it cost and what it replaced.

Good, because that means shorter lines for me.

jcgoble3, who loves Mission: Space so much that it is tied for his favorite attraction at WDW with Star Tours

[jzarley]

I think Disney Imagineering really needs to take a critical look at their creative project development process and possibly learn a few things from Universal. The "Jaws" attraction gave its last ride at USF on January 2, 2012, and now just 2.5 years later Universal is (almost) ready to open what is arguably the most advanced and interactive theme park experience EVER (not to mention--opened Transformers & Springfield during that same span!)

I love Disney...always have & always will--but they have to be seriously considering their whole project management process when looking at what their biggest competitor is doing a few miles down I-4. As far as that goes, I'd even go as far to say Disney could pick up a few project management methods from the "inferior" seasonals--SF & CF.

[The Interpreter]

But I doubt they will. Say what you will, but The Disney Organization knows (correctly or not) that its people, ways and culture are vastly superior to others...in fact I truly believe it thinks it has no real competition in the parks world. Such high and mighty thinking has in the past greatly contributed to the fall of once mighty companies as IBM, KMart, Sears, RKO, RCA, Philco, General Tire, and perhaps most of all General Motors.

[jzarley]

^ I would add CompuServe to that list as well...I remember having a "discussion" with a CompuServe programmer in a bar near their HQ in the mid-90s who was convinced no one could ever do "online stuff" as well as them!

[The Interpreter]

And America Online later known as AOL, with their walled garden for the Internet...from number one to who in just a few years.

[RailRider]

Would I love to see Disney make all of these additions to their parks? Yes. Do I think they will in the near future? No. Why? Disney knows their target market, families with younger children, and they honestly do a stellar job of catering to that market. Disney knows that creating a meet and greet like Anna and Elsa from Frozen is considered by families a Major Attraction. A simple Meet and Greet like this is generating 4 and 5 hour waits almost daily at the Magic Kingdom. The new Fantasyland expansion is aimed solely at young families not coaster or thrill ride enthusiasts. Universal is looking to position themselves towards families with older kids/teens looking for more thrilling attractions and who could care less meeting characters and such. I know from my own personal experience my 7 year old daughter who has seen all the Harry Potter movies has no interest in those rides or attractions. Yet talk to her about 7 Dwarfs Mine Train or meeting Anna and Elsa and those are two things she can't wait to do in December. As she gets older and reads the Potter books, she may become more excited, but for now Universal offers very little for her.

As a younger coaster/park enthusiasts I never cared for Disney Word and absolutely loved Universal/IOA. As I grew older and started our family, it took only one trip to a Disney park to get it. Our first visit to Universal as a family is down the road, but for now Disney does and offers what we love.

I am not defending Disney because I think certain aspects of their parks could use some much needed attention, but at the same time I don't think us as a group of enthusiasts is the best or most qualified to bemoan the decisions Disney makes in regards to their parks. We are not their target market.

[jzarley]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I am not "bemoaning" the choice of attractions...I'm commenting on the speed to market of Universal's delivery of new product compared to Disney (regardless of what form that product takes).

Is Disney's target demographic thrill seekers? Of course not--the products they introduce (eventually) are ideally suited for their target audience. I don't think anyone is saying that they're not. It's more of a comment on Universal's ability at project management success, and the fact that from a creative, technical and (especially) project management standpoint, Universal appears to be firing on all cylinders right now. I think their success from a PM and CI standpoint is really the standard to emulate right now.

And, with a 25+ year professional career in project development, management and delivery I feel very "qualified" to say that Universal has seemed to have found a formula for success. It's hard to argue with their results.

[Gabe]

Trust me when I say Epcot is being addressesd. Disney is currently filming the next Soarin film for release in 2015 (they were filming when I was there). The plan is to add one more theatre to up capacity. Mission Space is a good solid attraction..much better than Horizons ever was. Like the MK FL expansion, these things take time..Disney has a lot of Florida irons in the fire..dont forget Universal doesnt have nearly the overhead Disney does. The park is not standing still.

[The Interpreter]

Nor is Universal. Under Comcast, if anything, they are even more on their game, not resting on their laurels.

[bkroz]

Disney's begun to sort of renege on Fastpass+.

For one thing, popular attractions sell out months in advance.

Without good ole day-of legacy paper Fastpass, your only choice to ride Soarin' is to wait two, three, four hours, unless you were one of the lucky ones to choose it as your single tier 1 attraction 60 days in advance.

Beginning just a few days ago, there is no standby line for Soarin'.

If you come to the attraction without a Fastpass+ reservation, you're given – wait for it – a paper ticket with a return time.

Still in testing, this "Standby+" (not Disney's name for it) is confusing the heck out of everyone, including Cast Members, as guests who want to wait in line... can't. It's not an option. Either you made your reservation a few months ago, OR you can come back in a few hours for a "moderate" wait (hovering around 40 minutes).

Old Fastpass used to pulse folks through the Fastpass queue. Now, both lines for the ride are metered, Fastpass+ and "Standby+," so Disney theoretically provides space only for the ride's hourly capacity.

So far, the last return tickets for the day end at 6:00 or 7:00. After that, the ride reverts to stand-by.

http://www.themeparktourist.com/news/20140731/19768/3-questions-raised-walt-disney-worlds-new-queue-system?page=0,0

Good. Now try to explain that to throngs of Brazilian tourists. Having fun yet?

[The Interpreter]

Disneyland.

As I said months ago.

Disneyland.

Florida's a mess.

I cannot and will not plan my theme park adventures months in advance.

Florida is for Universal, BGT and maybe SeaWorld Orlando.

California is where my Disney nickels will go. And they start this foolishness there, I'll be done with that, too.

I am not amused.

[bkroz]

Insiders say that it's been internally confirmed as coming to Disneyland. Give it a year or two, at least. That said, whatever the devil they go for there, it's going to look VERY different.

Planning two months in advance? Psh, the annual passholder crowd there won't plan a day in advance. They visit casually, after work, a few times a week.

Limited to one park per day with your Fastpass+ reservations? Forget it.

Wearing rubber wristbands to work since you're going to Disneyland for dinner on the way home? Good luck.

Choosing one "tier 1" attraction and two "tier 2" attractions in a park bursting with E-tickets? Never.

Gateless entryways? Yeah, try that on the absurd 24 Hour Parties or New Years Eve where the Esplanade between parks is surging with thousands of people, all stuffed and waiting for the all-clear to let a dozen more folks in.

Perks are best for folks staying in Disneyland Resort Hotels? Just try it, with a vast majority of visitors coming from Southern California.

Personally, I believe / imagine / hope that Disneyland's crowds would adamantly reject this from the get-go, and that it would be shot down and DOA. And we're not talking about a petition with a few hundred signatures. We're talking about complete and utter revolt, on the ground. Lines to City Hall wrapping to the 5, refusal to use MagicBands, etc. Disneyland annual pass-holders are infamous for threatening to never visit the park again if x, y, or z happens. With MyMagic+, I believe they'd mean it.

[shark6495]

So I admit I'm a Disney noob.... I get that it's a different feel at each park but why

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[The Interpreter]

One US Disney complex is a warm, friendly, laid-back, easy going resort.

The other is Walt Disney World.

I say select the original and best...

[TombRaiderFTW]

As someone who hasn't been to a Disney park since he was in a stroller, please forgive a potentially silly question: is there any particular reason that any of you know of that requires Disney to hand out standby slips for rides like Soarin' instead of just letting people stand in line? I realize a four-hour line is excessive by seasonal park standards, but why is that an issue for a Disney park?

[The Interpreter]

Guests in line ain't spending more money.

[bkroz]

It'll be interesting to see how this new test expands, since Disney just spent many millions (probably all factored into the MyMagic+ budget) adding "interactive queues" to most of the resort's slow-moving lines. Soarin', Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and quite a few others got completely rebuilt queues with games and activities to entertain guests.

And now, they're being bypassed. On purpose.

As if guests aren't frazzled enough by having to pre-book Disney FastPass+^TM on My Disney Experience to sync with MagicBands for MyMagic+ integration (including optional Disney PhotoPass), now they don't know if they can get in line or if they need a piece of paper or if they use a smart phone app or if it's done at kiosks or...

Your vacation: SIMPLIFIED, and it feels so good!

[shark6495]

To be honest in the article it only says two rides are having this done Soaring and the Frozen meet and greet.

Maybe I missed where it was said to spread to other rides. Maybe this is just an over reaction to two extremely popular rides?

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[LordSkippy]

You know what? I like MyMagic+. Really, I do.

I'm not going to stand here and say that MyMagic+ drastically improves my day at the Magic Kingdom and I'd be lost without it. It doesn't, and I wouldn't be. But the bottom line is this: for me, who would rather spend a day at Magic Kingdom than anywhere else in the world, it absolutely facilitates having a more relaxed - dare I say better - day at the park.

[upstop]

Bring back general admissions prices and bring back the A,B,C,D, and E tickets and be done with all this blather.

DW has completely out priced and outsized itself in my book and I don't care to have a virtual Mouse plan and monitor my every move while I'm on vacation.

It's BGT and then SeaWorld for me from now on. Plus BGT is minutes from a free beach.

[LordSkippy]

Apologies for the two posts in quick succession, but I have a few bones to pick with goodyellowkorn182's earlier post about WDW's MM+ system not working at Disneyland.

Planning two months in advance? Psh, the annual passholder crowd there won't plan a day in advance. They visit casually, after work, a few times a week.

If the annual passholder crowd really does constitute a large portion of Disneyland guests, and none of them select FastPass+ selections months in advance, by the time they actually get to the park, there will still be open FastPass+ slots which can be reserved just as easily as getting a FastPass is now.

Limited to one park per day with your Fastpass+ reservations? Forget it.

That is considerably less of an issue at a two park resort. Besides, one can schedule FastPass+ reservations the day of at a different park once all FastPass+ reservations have been utilized at one park.

Wearing rubber wristbands to work since you're going to Disneyland for dinner on the way home? Good luck.

There is such a thing as leaving a Magic Band in a glove compartment or opting for an RFID card instead.

Choosing one "tier 1" attraction and two "tier 2" attractions in a park bursting with E-tickets? Never.

I fail to see how it would never work at Disneyland considering it works at the Magic Kingdom.

I'm not saying that the MyMagic+ system should ruthlessly be implemented everywhere with absolutely no changes, but the system is in fact more functional than a lot of people give it credit for.

[bkroz]

Apologies for the two posts in quick succession, but I have a few bones to pick with goodyellowkorn182's earlier post about WDW's MM+ system not working at Disneyland.

Planning two months in advance? Psh, the annual passholder crowd there won't plan a day in advance. They visit casually, after work, a few times a week.

If the annual passholder crowd really does constitute a large portion of Disneyland guests, and none of them select FastPass+ selections months in advance, by the time they actually get to the park, there will still be open FastPass+ slots which can be reserved just as easily as getting a FastPass is now.

Okay, sure! You're right! There would be plenty left since practically no one would pre-book. Yeah! So... if it ain't broke, why fix it? The current set-up is working. And this is a theoretical resistance to change. It's not just that FastPass works but FastPass+ might be better. Quite the contrary, we see plenty of evidence that FastPass+ is NOT better... Given that evidence and a firm knowledge of how Disneyland and its guests work, I can promise you that the system is not welcome there.

I'm not sure if you've been to Disneyland Resort or how familiar you are with the dynamic there, but trust me that Southern Californians (who make up a VERY large portion of the resort's guests) don't want to pre-book FastPass+ selections. It's not a matter of worrying about what will be left. It's that the whole system is totally unnecessary in California. I can guaruntee that MOST people who are making trips to Walt Disney World in the first half of 2015 have already started planning for those trips. They've booked hotels, booked flights, booked dinner reservations, and adding FastPass+ reservations is a natural extension of that. Sure. It makes sense at Walt Disney World. There is no fundamental need for FastPass+ at Disneyland Resort because that resort is not an international destination in the same way.

Limited to one park per day with your Fastpass+ reservations? Forget it.

That is considerably less of an issue at a two park resort. Besides, one can schedule FastPass+ reservations the day of at a different park once all FastPass+ reservations have been utilized at one park.

It shouldn't be an issue now, either. Disney arbitrarily decided that you could only book at one park per day. Why they chose to have their computer system limited in that way, I do not know. It's not a question of it being an issue that they're trying to find a way around. They decided to limit initial reservations to one park per day. Why would you assume that they won't make the same decision at Disneyland Resort? I know of the new caveat that they added that allows you to book at a second park... after you've used your first three, and after you've traveled to the new park, and after you've accessed a kiosk at the new park. Guess how many E-tickets are left by time that happens?

Wearing rubber wristbands to work since you're going to Disneyland for dinner on the way home? Good luck.

There is such a thing as leaving a Magic Band in a glove compartment or opting for an RFID card instead.

You can take them off? Whoa! No, the point I was making is that the MagicBand is actually convenient in Florida. Because of that whole resort-international-vacation-destination thing that I mentioned, guests can put their MagicBand on on the flight, and leave it on for the entire stay. In California, MagicBands are not convenient in the same way, because Disneyland does not cater to a captive audience who relies on it for a week at a time. So if the point of the MagicBand is that it's convenient, then its point is lost in California.

Choosing one "tier 1" attraction and two "tier 2" attractions in a park bursting with E-tickets? Never.

I fail to see how it would never work at Disneyland considering it works at the Magic Kingdom.

Put simply, Magic Kingdom has the following headlining rides:

• Big Thunder Mountain
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan's Flight
• It's a Small World

Disneyland Park has those attractions listed above PLUS:

• Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Pinocchio's Daring Journey
• Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
• Alice in Wonderland
• Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
• Monorail
• Thor: Treasures of Asgard / Captain America: Living Legend
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

In fact, the two parks of Disneyland (Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure) contain as many major attractions as Walt Disney World's four. If a guest is presented with the dozen E-tickets at Disneyland Park and told "choose 2." Uh... What? Impossible.

Likewise, at Disney's Animal Kingdom you have to "choose 1" from:

• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• DINOSAUR
• Legend of the Lion King
• Expedition Everest

At Disney California Adventure, you'd be asked to "choose 1" (2 if you're lucky) from:

• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
• Luigi's Flying Tires
• California Screamin'
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• Mickey's Fun Wheel
• Soarin' Over California
• Grizzly River Run

It's just a very different set-up. Each of Disney World's parks has 3 or 4 major attractions. Disneyland's each have a dozen or more.

So not only would the local clientele not accept pre-booking, but they would arrive to see "choose 2" and go BALLISTIC.

I'm not saying that the MyMagic+ system should ruthlessly be implemented everywhere with absolutely no changes, but the system is in fact more functional than a lot of people give it credit for.

Depends what function you're looking for. For Disney's international guests who are VERY into planning their vacations, it works. For regional guests who get excited about planning, it's great. For Cast Members? For annual pass-holders? For locals? For foreigners who can't speak English? This system has LOTS of requirements and is VERY complex. It works for many people, but I don't think you're looking at it in a macro way. I think you're looking at it as an enthusiast.

The Interpreter doesn't want to. He says he's not into visiting Walt Disney World unless or until this changes.

I don't have a vendetta against it, but anytime I go to Central Florida, it's for Universal Orlando anyway. Just trust me that this system is not wanted at Disneyland, and would not have the same functionality there anyway. Different place. Different people. Different flow. Different everything. Thankfully.

[shark6495]

No offense to anyone on here, this comment is more directed at outside reviews of the system.

Most of the complaints I have heard about this system from outside sources is that you cant run around collecting Fast Passes to all of the rides. To me that makes the most sense of why this system was invented.

I get why some people do not like to preplan their trips. There is a certain flair to running around the park and experiencing it as you go. Its a natural flow to go from ride to ride.

To me, I think the idea of getting "reservations" to certain rides is actually a good thing. I think.

[bkroz]

No offense to anyone on here, this comment is more directed at outside reviews of the system.

Most of the complaints I have heard about this system from outside sources is that you cant run around collecting Fast Passes to all of the rides. To me that makes the most sense of why this system was invented.

I get why some people do not like to preplan their trips. There is a certain flair to running around the park and experiencing it as you go. Its a natural flow to go from ride to ride.

To me, I think the idea of getting "reservations" to certain rides is actually a good thing. I think.

Absolutely agreed. I can't remember who it was, but someone on here did accuse me pretty harshly of cheating the system because I was able to get six or seven FastPasses a day, all by following the rules Disney had set forward (getting a second FastPass only once the return window of the first had begun, and always returning during that window... indeed, the distribution machines and Cast Members won't allow anything else). There's nothing wrong with the way I did things. It was unequal in that there are Disney guests who don't know FastPass is free, and others who don't know the rules and only get one or two a day (of their own innocent naiveté).

This new system, at its core, distributes FastPass reservations evenly, giving everyone three, period. By making FastPass+ reservations part of vacation planning, right alongside picking a hotel or picking park tickets, they more or less ENSURE that everyone will get those three. Was the original way of doing things unfair? No, not really. The new way just insists on equality. Which is fine. Just different.

It's not just preplanning (although many, many people do NOT want to do that), it's the unnecessary complexity of the system altogether and its MASSIVE cost. Did you catch that MyMagic+ cost Disney $1.5 billion? That's MORE than the cost of Disney California Adventure's 7-year rebuild. To put it another way, for the same $1.5 billion, Disneyland Resort got Buena Vista Street, Red Car Trolley, Carthay Circle, World of Color, Toy Story Midway Mania, Cars Land (including the rides Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Luigi's Flying Tires, and Radiator Springs Racers), Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, and a floor-to-ceiling rebuild of Paradise Pier with a couple million leftover.

So... if that $1.5 billion had been spent differently at Walt Disney World, EACH of their parks could've gotten a brand new, good-sized, well-done land. Instead... MagicBands. Will it pay off in the long run? Maybe. But you can see the slap in the face that that is to guests as Universal builds two E-tickets a year, minimum.

[shark6495]

I was the one who said you cheated the system (though legally). If you took it harshly, my apologies. Not intended that way. I know what you did was "legal" but still sort of unfair. But like I said, I would have done the same thing. So maybe Im not the one you were thinking of. Oh well!

This is an extremely expensive thing, but I thought the Magic Bands help create unique experiences and linking all parts of your vacation together. In the future, isnt it suppose to be able to push your name/info to characters to create a truly unique experience?

This upgrade reminds me of when you have to replace your roof or the wiring in your house. It can be very pricey and for the same amount of money you could buy some really cool stuff or even an expansion/remodel.

[bkroz]

This is an extremely expensive thing, but I thought the Magic Bands help create unique experiences and linking all parts of your vacation together. In the future, isnt it suppose to be able to push your name/info to characters to create a truly unique experience?

This upgrade reminds me of when you have to replace your roof or the wiring in your house. It can be very pricey and for the same amount of money you could buy some really cool stuff or even an expansion/remodel.

What if your roof didn't need replaced?

But then, yes, this could expand in the future. This was a HUGE gamble for Disney. HUGE. If they can get this to a place where it's easy, natural, intuitive, and smooth, then they'll be the envy of the theme park world. They are set up to be decades ahead of their competitors. At this point, all of their computer systems are state-of-the-art, top-notch, and ready. Their parks are united and unified and 21st century. There is no resort on Earth of comparable size, but even smaller ones can't say that they're as technologically prepared as Walt Disney World.

SO FAR, it just seems like this wasn't needed. It wasn't broke. And with every new caveat that was discovered as the program unrolled (limits, tiers, one park per day, perks for hotel guests, etc) fans were like "Well... I mean... Okay, I GUESS. But was the old FastPass / park ticket system THAT broken that we needed this? Now that it's here, the limits and tiers and perks make technical sense, but it doesn't seem like we needed MyMagic+."

And the tough thing now is that fans and followers and even management are practically SCREAMING that Disneyland's "roof" doesn't need fixed with this. They just don't want it. They know they won't use it. It's not right for Disneyland. So it's not a question of "We COULD use this for an expansion, but let's be smart about it and fix the roof," you know? Complicated thing. But Disneyland's roof is not broke, and they don't want it fixed. *shrug* We'll see.

[shark6495]

You make a great point, and not sure you meant to or it was just a minor one. Something with this kind of towering system makes sense in the WDW because each park has 2-3 maybe 4 big rides/attractions that you have to pick 1 from. Where as the California resorts have more attractions in fewer parks.

On the Florida side for a moment, I feel that this was a necessity for them. They have so many resorts/parks/outside attractions all flying under the WDW banner that this was needed. To carry on my "roof" analogy : the roof was old, there were some leaks but it could have even fixed with a patch but it's better to make it all new and work for the next 40+ years.

I'm planning my Disney trip for the family next year and we did contemplate a California trip but I was outvoted. WDW has over 12-15(maybe more?) hotels to stay at on property, plus hundreds of dining options on property, not to mention the golf, water parks, and mini golf courses. I can see how having a 1 swipe system would be a huge selling point.

Vs California I believe has 3 partner hotels? Fewer restaurants etc. as many have said it's a completely different animal.

If this succeeds you are right. This will be the absolute envy for years to come. It will absolutely crush Universal. If it flops, well Universal has got a new land coming soon as well.

Personally I see this evolving into a digital version of the old system with fewer limits. We are still in the "beta" stages of this. Once the bugs are worked out...

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